Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to personal tracking devices, and more particularly to personal tracking devices incorporated into footwear.
Description of the Background Art
Personal tracking devices are known in the art. One possibly desirable means of carrying a personal tracking device is to incorporate the personal tracking device into footwear. However, there are many obstacles to incorporating personal tracking devices into footwear, while maintaining the comfort, appearance, and affordability of the footwear.
Previously, this has been accomplished with footwear that is specially designed to receive a tracking system. For example, some footwear has been designed with special cavities formed in the sole so as to provide a place to conceal a GPS device.
There are problems associated with such footwear. For example, users have a limited selection of footwear styles. That is, users are limited to only those styles made available by the tracking system footwear manufacturer. Of course, such footwear is also likely to be more expensive than conventional footwear. In addition, most people have several pairs of shoes/footwear for different occasions. Having several pairs of GPS enabled footwear would be cost-prohibitive for many potential users.
Another problem with tracking devices that use satellite signals is that the tracking devices can be nonfunctional in certain areas (e.g., inside of buildings) where the satellite signals cannot be received. In addition, the battery life of the tracking device can be diminished if the device is constantly searching for a signal or otherwise operating when not needed.
What is needed, therefore, is a tracking system that can be incorporated into footwear that is not specifically designed to receive tracking devices. What is also needed is a tracking device that can be easily transferred from one pair of footwear to another. What is also needed is a tracking device that can be used interchangeably with multiple different pairs of footwear. What is also needed is a tracking device that operates satisfactorily when worn indoors for extended periods of time.